A Long Read Ahead

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Athens, GA – Four UGA players were arrested in March, but their arraignment dates have yet to be set.

Uriah LeMay, Tray Matthews, Jonathan Taylor, and James DeLoach were arrested on March 17th and were released on bond.

Their “original” arraignment date was set for April 17th. But the Athens-Clarke County solicitor general, C.R. Chisholm, says “it isn’t one of our typical cases.” He is used to thin manila folders with not much paperwork because he only handles misdemeanors. But, he says, he hasn’t had a chance to look at this file yet, and it won’t be a quick read. Try about two phonebooks thick, 200 pages. Chisholm says looking over the file is on the top of his list of things to do, now that the April arraignments are over. Clyde Felton, communications director for the Athletic Association, also says it is on his list of top concerns.

The UGA Police Department has been gathering evidence for the case and has now handed over to the solicitor general’s office. “It wasn’t because the police delayed in their investigation, it was because of the amount of paper work,” Chisholm says.

So why such a big file? Chisholm says this is a different misdemeanor case. “It’s not the type of case where somebody sees it happen like a bar fight or a DUI case where it just happens in a moment.” Since it is a theft by deception case, there are paper trails, checks, bank statements, and recordings from the defendants and witnesses. Chisholm will look over this information and decide if there is enough “sufficient evidence” to prosecute the players. He says it doesn’t matter that they are UGA athletes, “we do it without taking into consideration who they are or where they’re from,” Chisholm says.

Chisholm says he will get through the file in less than two weeks. If he does decided to prosecute the players, their arraignment dates will be in the first week of June, coincidentally around the same time the players are set to start practice for the summer.